detection of Poisonous Compounds. 341 



tea for a criminal purpose, it was placed in a bottle with the 

 spoon immersed in it, and sent to me for analysis. There 

 was a light brown deposit of insoluble matter in the bottle, 

 most probably produced by the decomposition of part of 

 the corrosive sublimate by the tea and milk ; but on pour- 

 ing off the clearer portion, and submitting it to the foregoing 

 process, abundant rings of metallic mercury in globules were 

 obtained by sublimation from the copper which had been 

 boiled in the acidulated liquid. Wollaston's galvanic test 

 gave mercurial deposits on gold, and the ordinary liquid tests 

 afforded corroborative evidence of the existence of a soluble 

 salt of mercury. 



The Poisonous compounds of Antimony. 



Cases of poisoning with antimonial compounds are very 

 un frequent in Europe, and are still less liable to occur in this 

 country. It is the possibility of tartar emetic being acci- 

 dentally taken in poisonous doses, that chiefly renders it 

 important to be prepared with the means of detecting the 

 presence of antimony in organic mixtures. 



It is well known with what accuracy Marsh's process may 

 be applied to the separation of antimony from mixed liquids ; 

 and that it is scarcely less inferior in delicacy in its applica- 

 tion to the decomposition of antimonial than of arsenical 

 compounds. But the same obstacles that preclude the gene- 

 ral use of this delicate method in the case of arsenic, occur 

 equally in that of antimony. 



The method also devised by Turner and Orfila, and re- 

 commended by Christison, for separating the antimony as 

 sulphuret, and then reducing that compound by means of 

 hydrogen gas, is equally inapplicable to emergent cases oc- 

 curring in this country, on account both of the peculiarly 

 constructed apparatus required, and of the difficulties at- 

 tendant on the process. 



The simplicity of the following method, and the ease with 

 which it may be conducted, peculiarly recommend it under 



